Jolie's pay day was largely thanks to the worldwide thriller of Salt, which earned $300 million, and her Johnny Depp co-starrer The Tourist, which earned $280 million despite mixed reviews.

Parker earned her cash mostly from residuals for HBO's Sex and the City, for which she serves as a producer. She also earned money from the film Sex and the City 2, which made $290 million in international box office. She also earned more than $18 million from her perfume lines.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon tied behind Jolie and Parker with $28 million earnings. Aniston's The Bounty Hunter opened weak, but ended up grossing $136 million off a $40 million budget, and Just Go With It made $214 million. Witherspoon's How Do You Know flopped, earning just $50 million on a $120 million budget, though Water for Elephants earned an estimated $115 million.